Improvement in ornamentation of glassware



F. S, SHIRLEY. Ornamentation of Glassware.

No. 220,038. Patented seF 3-@ 1879..

".PEIERS, Pmro-umoGRAPuER, WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK s} SHIRLEY, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORNAMENTATION OF GLASSWARE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,038. datedSeptember 30, 1879 application filed December 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. SHIRLEY, of New Bedford, in theicountyof Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Orna mentation of Glassware; and 1 do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of decorating and ornamentingglassware and other vitreous materials capable of beingfluxed; and itconsists in forming or inserting designs in or on the surface of thearticles made, by first coating the pieces to be inserted with asuitable flux, and then rolling the article, While hot andplastic, overthe pieces or by placing the pieces on the article, clamping 'themtightly together, and then heating them to such a degree as to flux themtogether, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings the figures illustrate different methods ofornamentation.

In making the different articles for ornamentation, I prefer to useglass having lava mixed with it, so as to have a dark, perfectly black,or a colored background, so as to make a stronger contrast with theinserted pieces 5 but white or other light-colored glass or vitreousmaterial may be used as well.

In working my process the method is varied to suit the materialor metalused to make the article, and the process-is varied according to theresult to be obtained.

The pieces to be inserted for the sake of dec- 1 oration are of ananalogous material to thematerial out of which the article to bedecorated is made, and should the pieces for decoration and the articleto be decorated be of dissimilar material, the pieces are backed with acoating of suitable fluxing, so that they will be readily absorbed intothe surface of the otherwise antagonistic material. By thus fluxing thepieces to be inserted, I am enabled to Work and assimilate glasses andmaterials of entirely different degrees of hardness and nature, andwhich would otherwise scale and fly apart. By

this means I am also enabled to firmly embed, insert, or attach metalsthat are only fusible at high temperatures to glass, lava'ware, or anymaterial capable of fluxing.

In decorating the various articles made, the workman gathers the glassfrom the pot and proceeds to form the article in the method well knownto the trade. He then reheats the article, and either applies thedecorative pieces or figures to the sides of the heated article, orrolls the article over the pieces or figures as they-lie upon an ironplate, and then, .by reheating the partly-formed article and finishingit in the usual manner, .the decorative pieces or figures will form apart of the surface of the article, as shown in the drawings.

In carrying out this process there may be a plate having recesses in itssurface, which recesses' form a regular figure or ornament. In theserecesses are placed different colored beads or glasses or pieces ofmetal, and this plate, with the pattern placed thereon, may be placed ina muffle and heated to any desired degree, and then the heated articlethat is being formed may be laid upon this pattern, so that the pieceswhich form the pattern will adhere to the article, and thus betransferred to the article. In finishing the article, the pieces, beads,or metal will be embedded in the surface of the article, so as to form asolid part thereof, and yet be very conspicuous by reason of theirdifferent colors or forms.

Where hard metallic figures are to be inserted I prefer to make themfrom metallic solutions, and form them by electro-deposit process, as bythis means I can more nearly assimilate them to the requiredmelting-point without their losing their identity, though I can use aregular metals of commerce by preparing them. These metallic figures orornaments are fiuXed on their inner sides, and, after they have beenattached to the glass article, can be given a very high polish, gilded,electroplated, or otherwise finished, and thus give the article a veryelegant finish. Should it be desired to insert these metallic or otherfigures, or attach them to the sides of already-finishedarticles, thefigures are more heavily fluxed, and then clamped to the side of thearticle, and then exposed to heat in a muffle. If a very hightemperature is needed for this purpose, the outer face of the ornamentor figure is protected by a non-fusible case, so as to keep theintegrity of the ornamentation intact.

Where irregular designs, such as mosaic or marble patterns, are desired,I form pieces or plates of glass or lava of various colors, eitheropaque, or rendered opaque by backing with suitable colors or material,and then break or cut them into the required shapes, and then insertthem in the manner described. By making the flux of a dense white or abright color, and having it flow around the edges of the piecesinserted, a fine finish or effect is given.

Where grotesque figures or ornamentation is desired, the pieces to beinserted, of different colors, forms, and sizes, are floated on theglass, and after the article is finished an artist takes his brush, and,by adding parts of figures in gilt or color to these pieces, transformsthem into figures of animals and human beings ot' the most grotesqueforms. \Vhere a metallic figure has been added, gold traceries ordesigns may be painted all around it. Should it be desired to formfigures of these pieces Without outlining them in gold and adding partsof figures to them, the pieces may be cut through to the backing bymeans of the etching process, copper engraving wheels, or other similarmeans, and thus convert them into figures of animals and other objects.

Where special designs are required, I form the pieces that are to beattached or inserted in special molds or formers. These pieces, ofwhatever form or color that may be preferred, are fiuxed over and thenapplied to metal plates having indented lines or figures therein. A hotmass of glass is then Worked over the same, so as to attach them to theplate, thereby producing figures in relief or cameo effect.

Perforated shells or pieces of metal can be attached to the glassarticle that is being formed while the glass is yet soft, and the glassthen be blown and finished. All the glass points projecting through themetal plate can be cut away and polished down to the metal surface,thereby producing the same effects as shown in Japanese metal-enamelware.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The method hereindescribed of preparing pieces or figures of glass or lava ware and metalfor ornamentation, by fluxing them, and then attaching them to thearticle to be ornamented by means of heat, substantially as shown.

2. A new article of manufacture, consisting of an article of glass orlava ware having inserted mosaics, forming part of the surface of thesame, substantially as described.

3. An article of glass or other material capable of being fluxed, havingvitreous or metallic figures, suitably fluxed, inserted or attachedthereto, so as to form a part of the surface, substantially as setforth.

4. The process herein described ofornanienting articles of glassware orother similar material, by inserting pieces in ,their surface, and thenconverting these pieces, by the help of the brush, into grotesquefigures, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this23d day of May, 1878.

FRED. S. SHIRLEY.

Witnesses R. M. BARR, F. A. LEHMANN.

